Vapor barriers in crawl spaces: what works.
Ask general contractors and many home inspectors what to do about dampness in the crawl space and chances are you will get the same answer most of the time:Line the crawl space floor with a vapor barrier (usually a 6 mil poly sheet), seams overlapped about 6 inches, tape to hold it together. Leave the vents open, so that the crawl space can "breathe".
Based on the popularity of such recommendations, homeowners are led to believe that a system like our CleanSpace is an”overkill”.
After all, why go through the trouble of completely wrapping and sealing the crawl space with a multi-layered, puncture proof, UV coated and anti-microbial treated crawl space liner if a generic 6 mil plastic sheet over the floor will suffice? Why run a dehumidifier or a conditioning fan if open vents can dry moisture?
Here’s why: there is overwhelming evidence that ground vapor barriers combined with crawl space vents do not work, presenting itself in the form of thousands of mold infested and rotten crawl spaces, all across the US, as you can see in the picture that illustrates this article.
Notice the moisture buildup over the plastic liner, the water stains on the walls and the insulation, wet and moldy, falling off the joists.This is the kind of scene we at Disaster Plus see every single day.
On the other hand there is sound scientific proof that conditioned crawl spaces are the best way to prevent decay, mold and moisture problems. Tons of studies were conducted and the findings are conclusive: crawl space conditioning works.
However, you don’t need to read scientific studies or technical publications to verify that.
Just ask one of our thousands of very satisfied customers if they would have their crawl space done any other way.
Then contact us and let us do the same for your crawl space.
Posted on: 2009/01/14 12:26:52pm by: Cynthia Freneey
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